by Ananya Sarkar
(Kolkata, India)
After spending the day with the world
I return home
–In my room, the mirror spills the secrets in my face
The whirring fan weeds out the need for words or lies
For now at least.
The tap runs…
Watering my spontaneity
And the rules slide off like dead skin
Listlessly.
At bedtime, I remove my clothes
The outer garments, then inner
And then gently peel off my skin
Wipe off the smile
Replace the plastic tongue
And I lie stripped of all artifices
Staring at the darkness
Embodying just ME.
***